Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-02-19

came to this city an Englishman
named Richard Denton, bringing with
him a wife and two daughters,
Rachel and Hannah, Of whom
the latter was married to Charles Owens,
who accompanied them. Denton bought
a small place on the Woodbridge road
about mile from the centre of the city
on the outskirts of what was then known
as "Leetown." He pursued the voca-
ton Of gardener and went into farming
on small scale, and was looked upon
as q Woodworking, industrious man.
The family kept by themselves, and the
old man, naturally close and reserved,
kept his own counsel and had but little
TO do with any of his neighbors, who
somehow classed him a miser, although
never suspecting for a moment that he
had any money beyond the few dollars
he earned. 1t has since been learned,
however, that he brought considerable
money with him from the old country
and once went back TO England in
answer to summons and returned with
over 100000.
He boarded all he could earn, as
we'll as what his daughters and wife
brought in, and together with what he
originally had he deposited it in
bank in New York city. His papers,
will, &C., together, it is believed, with
quite a sum Of money, he kept carefully
guarded in two black boxes or chests,
the contents of which he never allowed
any of the members of the family to
see. He was fatally attacked with ty-
phoid-fever shortly after his return
from England, and just before his
death said TO his wife and daughters,
There's fortune for you all-thou-
sands and thousands for you all. -
His love of gold held on to him until
the last, and not until the final gasp of
death did he attempt to tell where and
how they could obtain it, and then it
was too late but the daughters knew
the boxes contained the secrets, and at
once fell to quarrelling over possession
of them. Hannah, who had married
Robert Pine, who had also died, was
an eccentric person. She came off
victorious and obtained possession of
the valuable boxes and other important
papers, and acted so roughly to her sis
ter Mrs. Owens, that they parted bad
friends, and the latter and her husband
went off to live by themselves. -,
The homestead was sold shortly af
terward and Hannah tooK the money,
and, it is reported, placed her mother
in the poorhouse. She then went5so
live with a Mrs. Reed, near the old
homestead, taking the mysterious
boxes and all the papers apd property
of the old folks with her From there
she went to live with DIR. Silvers, a
well-known physician, and at his place
later died in fit. Mrs. Reed was yes
terday interviewed and corroborated all
the above as relates to Hannah Pine
coming to her house. She brought the
boxes and chests, with other things,
with her. and she suddenly left one
day, and later Mrs. Reed learned that
she was living at the doctors. Her
disposition was hardly of the most
amiable, Mrs. Reed says, and she acted
oftentimes as if demented. After her
death, Mrs. Reed says, Rachael Ovens
and James Pine came there and
carried away the boxes and all
the papers concerning the old
mans property, so far as she
knows, but what they were or whether
Hannah had previously taken the i'm
portant papers she couldn't tell. All
She did know was "that all she had in
the house belonged to her and no one
else" Mrs. Rachael Owens, the sur
viying sister, was then seen, and after
hard work was induced 10 tell the story
of her fathers wealth and the subse-
quent doings which had so far success
fully kept the disposition of that wealth
unknown to her, and deprived her of
her Just dues. Mrs. Owens is about
seventy years old, but active and pos
sessed of all her faculties. The story,
as told by her, is as follows
"My father was what might be called
miser. He died leaving millions of
dollars. l was by his side when he
passed away, and he whispered TO me
in his last breath It's all in the bank
in New York--a great fortune for each
of you. My sister Hannah was of no
particular good, but do not believe, as
some do, that she was insane. 1t was
the very night father died that she
took the two boxes from under his bed,
and, besides, took some valuable papers
and two bags OF money from the old
bureau in the room. She took them
With herto a Mrs. Reeds house, and that
is the last ever heard of the papers,
which certainly ,sOrild prove my right
to millions OF dollars now in New York
bank. | have worried night and day
for twenty years, have spent money
that | and Charles have earned, and
have been to England and back all for
no good. Yes, | went TO England last
July in answer to an advertisement
which called for the Richard Denton
heirs. was to have reached the English
Chancery Court before July 18th, but
got mixed up in London, got into the
hands of some claim agents, who tried
to rob me, and the time elapsed and
was forced to return home Soon after
l returned / received an official letter
and an advertisement from the London
Times put in by the Chaneery Court
and officially signed, and / hope to go
over again some day. Father had money
ON both sides of the water, and tried
TO get it all here before he died,
but failed TO do 80. He brought
a great deal with him, however,
when he first came, and then he went
over and brought more. He made
money here, and / know that some
where in New York bank there are
millions of his gold, just as | know my
right hand is before me now. Hannah's
son also knows this, and, like his mo-
ther, is not willing to join hands and
search together, but he keeps away and
works secretly. Why, il Hannah had
not taken these things we could all be
rich. But what can we do without the
will and k-books and other papers?
Hannah was led to believe she could
obtain our share, so she took the boxes
and secreted them. She went TO live
at Dr.. Silyer's, and they say died in aft,
but never knew her to have fits, and l
cant quite see how she went of so sud-
denly. Al auv rate no Sirn of the pa-